Building a Braver, Kinder Community: EmpowerMT

We support EmpowerMT because of their ability to build inclusive, empowered communities through education and training. Their expanded reach into rural and tribal areas, alongside impactful services like HR training, demonstrates the scalable and sustained impact of their work. - High Stakes Foundation

EmpowerMT was born from a simple but powerful belief: everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and safe in their community. Originally formed in the early 2000s under the name National Coalition Building Institute Missoula (NCBI Missoula), the organization began as a response to discrimination and bullying in schools. Over time, it grew beyond its original name and mission, evolving into EmpowerMT—an organization dedicated to equity, inclusion, and leadership development for people of all ages and backgrounds.

At its heart, EmpowerMT works to dismantle systems of oppression and build cultures of belonging. The team does this by offering workshops, school programs, youth leadership training, and community events that foster understanding and empathy. They also run adult workshops on unconscious bias, interrupting hate, and workplace equity—meeting people wherever they are on their journey. They believe change doesn’t come from just calling out injustice, but by lifting up voices, building relationships, and empowering people with tools to create safer, more inclusive spaces.

One of EmpowerMT’s most visible programs is Youth Forward, which trains young people to be peer leaders in anti-bias education. Their annual Youth Leadership Conference brings students from across Montana together to learn how to speak up against hate, celebrate diversity, and build community.

Heidi Wallace, the Executive Director from EmpowerMT, says

I’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of youth leadership in addressing the urgent mental health, educational, and economic challenges facing young people across Montana. Our Youth Leadership Pathways and the Montana Opportunity Youth Initiative are not just programs—they are movements rooted in healing-centered, youth-led strategies that cultivate belonging, foster resilience, and drive systemic change.

The problems EmpowerMT addresses are both immediate and systemic: racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and all forms of discrimination that affect people in schools, workplaces, and public life. They create brave spaces for difficult conversations, while centering the voices of those most impacted.

Empower MT serves a wide range of people—youth, educators, community leaders, businesses, and families. Their programs reach folks from small rural towns to urban schools, with a particular focus on amplifying marginalized communities across the state.

Recent highlights include:

• Thanks to an introduction from Mary Stranahan, EmpowerMT proudly represents Montana as part of the Aspen Institute’s Forum for Community Solutions Opportunity Youth Forum—a national network advancing equity and opportunity for young people. As one of five states leading the development of best practices within the Belonging, Meaning-Making, Wellbeing, and Purpose (BMWP) Cohort, EmpowerMT is helping design and implement transformative strategies and evaluation tools that support schools, communities, and youth-serving organizations in centering BMWP principles. In addition to this national leadership role, EmpowerMT serves as the backbone organization for the Montana Opportunity Youth Initiative, building statewide infrastructure that uplifts youth voice, fosters belonging, and advances systems change to support opportunity youth across Montana.

  
  

• Youth Advocacy Day: EmpowerMT & The Montana Opportunity Youth Initiative hosted the first annual Youth Advocacy Day at the 2025 Legislative Session. 60 youth people traveled through a snowstorm on President’s Day to ensure their voices were heard and engage with policy makers about mental health resources, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive health, housing, Medicaid, and education equity.

  
  

• Facilitation of Empowering Montana's Youth: A Collaborative Workshop on Belonging, Meaning, Wellbeing, and Purpose (BMWP) & Fostering Belonging in Youth-Centered Spaces Workshops for two dozen schools and organizations reaching 800 Montanans this year.

  
  

• The Handoff-Bridging the Gap Podcast: The Handoff is a podcast series that connects youth and elders from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences, perspectives, and wisdom. The podcast fosters intergenerational learning, empathy, and community building and seeks to raise community awareness and understanding of underrepresented voices, ultimately nurturing a deeper sense of belonging and wellbeing for all.

At a time when division and polarization feel overwhelming, EmpowerMT offers a different path—one of curiosity, courage, and connection. Their work is a reminder that when we teach people to lead with empathy and speak up with purpose, we build not just better communities, but stronger ones.

High Stakes has been a lifeline to our organization and the individuals we serve. Their impact goes beyond serving as a funding conduit. They are a thought partner and champion of our vision and purpose, and deeply engaged in transformative change for all Montanans. — Heidi Wallace, Executive Director, EmpowerMT

Mission: EmpowerMT creates a more just and inclusive society by developing youth and adult leaders who work to end mistreatment, correct systemic inequities, and strengthen communities across Montana and beyond.

Learn More